Senior Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

As a Senior Animal Technician, you will be:

• Providing high quality animal care and environmental enrichment for the NHPs.
• Supervising routine work, training and guiding junior staff and performing regulated procedures under ASPA.
• Working with the wider colonies team, maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare ensuring the NHPs and facilities are Home Office compliant
• Serve as point of contact for staff concerns regarding animal welfare and report any issues to the relevant authorities, including the Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS) and the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB)
• Perform necropsy examination and removal of specified tissue as part of a specified study plan.
• Support the NVS in post-mortem examinations and surgical interventions when necessary.
• Act as study supervisor; taking responsibility for the effective delivery of specific packages of work performed within the facility, working within the study plan and legal frameworks.
• Conduct a variety of specialised experimental procedures under Home Office Licence, on NHPs in the colony adhering to agreed study plans.
• Participate in the preparation, including drafting elements where appropriate and review of relevant Standard Operating Procedures, Codes of Practice and Risk Assessments.
• Assist with the delivery of the supervision and specific training of colony staff in techniques necessary for the safe care of NHPs and conduct of studies using potential infectious agents as part of study programmes. Ensuring colony documentation is completed to a high standard in line with legal requirements and best practice.
• Take responsibility for ensuring the health and safety of the colony, including reporting faults, and of the colony team in line with the law, UKHSA policies, Codes of Practice, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)s and other good practice and guidance

This role is a physical role, ensuring the environment is clean and nutritional requirements for the NHPs are fulfilled.

Weekend work (paid as overtime) is on a rota and will be introduced after a period of induction to the facility. You will be required to participate in the on call rota for the facility.

Essential criteria:

• Educated to degree level in animal care/animal biology or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in laboratory animal science.
• Home Office Personal Licence holder and Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer (NACWO) certification IAT.
• Study supervision i.e., taking responsibility for discrete packages of work to support research programmes in a safe manner.
• Detailed knowledge of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
• An understanding of the requirement to continually review processes with the aim to improve animal welfare through refinement of husbandry and procedural techniques and maintain staff safety.
• Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences.
• Skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining networks.
• Ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues.
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• Able to complete physical tasks, such as pressure washing, prioritising tasks and resources and work to deadlines.
• Ability to keep detailed and accurate records and both written and on computer databases in relation to management systems.

Desirable criteria:

• Institute of Animal Technology (IAT) Membership
• Supervisory management training.
• Familiar with the concepts surrounding the decontamination and sterilisation of facilities equipment and waste.

Selection Process Detail

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical Skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success Profiles

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 11essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 1000 word supporting statement.

This should outline how you consider your skills,experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

TheApplication formandsupportingstatementwill be marked together.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

1. Meets all essential criteria
2. Meets some essential criteria
3. Meets no essential criteria

Those falling into the 'Meets all' and 'Meet some essential criteria' piles will progress to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the following essential criteria:

• Educated to degree level in animal care/animal biology or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in laboratory animal science.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.

Please do not exceed 1000words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Success Profiles

You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Behaviours and Technical Skills will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Making Effective Decisions (Lead behaviour)
• Working Together
• Working at Pace

You will also be asked technical based questions during the interview. They will be based on:

• Animal care
• Welfare
• Legislation

Interviews dates are yet to be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Location

This role is being offered as lab based at the Porton Down Scientific Campus in Wiltshire.Please note: Hybrid working is not available for this role.

Salary

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Security Clearance LevelRequirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Person Specification

Application Form and Supporting Statement

Essential

• Application Form and Supporting Statement

Behaviours

Essential

• Making Effective Decisions (Lead behaviour)
• Working Together
• Working at Pace

Technical Skills

Essential

• Technical questions - (Animal care, welfare and legislation)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

Laboratory

Porton

SP4 0JG

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)